How To Guide on Eating for Fertility
Firstly I am not a nutritionist, I’m a nutritional doula. I can never diagnose or tell you how to eat. I educate you so you can make informed choices when it comes to your eating habits. My nutritional doula side has been itching to get this out as I had read quite a bit of books on fertility so prepare for some mindful eating tips for fertility. 1. When Should We Be Eating? According to Chinese medicine the best time to eat breakfast is 7am to 9am, as it is the peak time of the stomach. For lunch eating more protein vs carbs is better for your energy levels. The best time to eat carbs is during the evening. Now if you’re anything like me I’m a scheduled eater… if I don’t eat something specifically at 7:30 am, or noon, or even my usual 5pm dinner routine, I can get quite hangry. As a birth doula, I can’t predict my eating schedule, and that’s when things like this are hard to manage. So even though it’s recommended, we all struggle with the day-to-day life being so different for everyone. (Especially if you work in the health care field) 2. Why is Protein so Important? According to studies done on animals low protein can be an indicator of poor egg quality and more protein helps with your FSH and LH hormone production. Protein can be found in quite a few things, and with today’s Protein Powders you can mix it into most meals! Although, personally I am fond of natural protein found in beans, and meat. But the more protein you have can be beneficial for your diet, so try to increase each day to meet your daily needs. 3. All things Iron… Low levels of iron can affect your fertility. It is known that an adequate amount of iron can actually be a guard against miscarriage. Iron deficiency in women is very popular, I myself have anemia and take EasyIron from my local natural nutrition stores. I haven’t even mentioned it but the next time I speak with a naturopath. I wonder why no one has made a connection with my menstruation problems if there is something linking them. I put my doubt here so that you too can always be a detective for your health and promote curiosity trying to learn more about your body. 4. All things Magnesium… Magnesium is another common deficiency and if you’re low on it there is a chance you might be suffering from infertility. Also with it being low you can have an increased risk of miscarriage. Popular foods include: Pumpkin & Chia Seeds Spinach Almonds & Cashews Black Beans Brown Rice Salmon 5. I thought fats were bad for me… It’s the opposite and fats are actually a vital role in our fertility. You can make hormones, transport cholesterol, and helps reduce inflammation. If you are lacking fats you may see an increase in dry skin, PMS, cracked lips, and tender breasts. Eat some butter and thank me later. I always recommend you do your own research, be your own provider to care for your body. You might be like – why I have one and that’s what I hire them for. Well only you know you best, and they may study lots of things for many years, it comes down to putting yourself first. Always. 6. Carb it to me babe… Carbs should make up 55 percent of the food you eat. They are vitally important in maintaining a balance of hormones and blood sugar. There is also a huge difference between fast releasing carbs and slow releasing carbs. 7. What every woman should know about folate… Folate should be a staple in your supplement game. We need a minimum of 400mcg of folic acid daily. At least three months prior to TTC. Follow up with another two months after conception. You can find this in good sources like dark leafy greens and organ meats. And this isn’t everything. Things like vitamin D, B12 vitamins and other minerals are so important. When people are trying to conceive, remember to check your diet for both you and your partner. P.S. If this post didn’t make you hungry… I did not do my job correctly, after writing this, and editing it. I now both desire something to snack on. What a mind game!
3 Unspoken Herbal Remedies for TTC
There are quite a few remedies or herbal antidotes that are often mentioned about when discussing fertility. But before I get to that, let’s discuss what fertility means and how some people see fertility. Some people see fertility only as your trying to conceive, while others see fertility as what women have from when we hit puberty till menopause. However you define it, in this case and point we will be discussing herbs for fertility in the retrospect of trying to conceive (TTC) I will be quoting and using a lot of an article from Susan Weed, so please feel free to read her blog as well. 1. Red Clover These raw blossoms are good to eat with salads, and good to eat with grains like millet and rice. You could also make yourself a infusion with dried red clover and has been known for helping women get pregnant, as well as supporting people with scarring on the fallopian tubes, irregular periods, and unexplained infertility. 2. Partridge Berry (Known as Squaw Weed) It’s meant to be a fertility plant based off their shape. Susan Weed has given a recipe on her blog into how she makes it into a vinegar to use on salads 3. Liferoot This can be made into a tincture and taken to support your fertility journey. With the help of supporting your hormone production and regulating it. As well as, relieve period cramps, and improve your fertility. Which of these herbs have you heard of before and plan to use? Lots of things to try to improve your fertility, if you ever feel you need more guidance feel free to connect with me.
5 Things You Should Be Doing to Boost Your Fertility
Investing time and energy in preconception care is always a good plan if you’re planning to conceive. I always like to start these blog posts (especially around fertility) that you need to spend at LEAST three months to improve your health. This can help you to maximize your chances at conception. Here are five things you should be doing to boost your fertility. 1. Detox the Liver My first approach I highly suggest to my clients and everyone, is to start looking at the liver. Any naturopath or holistic medicine practitioner would explain that detoxing the liver is a great idea (even if you’re not a heavy drinker). This is something you can choose to do yourself or speak to someone. Sometimes people prefer more guidance and that is alright. If you’re like myself, and you decide just to rip off the elusive bandaid and detox yourself, then you can find a few in a couple of books or by doing a Google search. Supplements include Silymarin, Choline, and milk thistle. Of course, be smart when doing a liver detox, check with a health care provider if you so choose, stop the program if there is pain or discomfort, get plenty of fresh air, keep warm, rest and sleep, don’t do heavy exercise, start the program on the weekend or maybe on the first of a week or month. In the end, go about in the way that makes you happy. 2. Physical Exercise The benefits of regular exercise have been taught to us since we were little, and incorporating a routine that can make you comfortable and something you enjoy is so important. Here are just a few reasons why it might be beneficial. Relieves stress Increase bone density and mass Increase insulin sensitivity Relieves the symptoms of PMS Prepares the body for pregnancy (suffers less from constipation, hemorrhoids, and morning sickness. The Chinese adjust exercise to match the season. Spring, summer, and late summer are times of yang energy and fall and winter are of yin energy. Spring Exercises: Stretching, Walking, Weight Training, and Gently Build up MusclesSummer Exercises: Swimming, Cycling, Dancing and JoggingLate Summer Exercises: Power Walking, Cycling and SwimmingFall Exercises: Pilates, Stretching and WalksWinter Exercises: Deep Breathing, Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong 3. Acupuncture Although most fertility is practiced and grounded around Western medicine, acupuncture is a great way to regulate the menstrual cycle or to treat other fertility programs. A reason why this might improve your health is that it can help your general health and alleviate underlying conditions preventing conception or enhance the efficacy of fertility treatments. You might want to find an acupuncture practitioner who focuses on fertility that way if you’re older and you have a reproductive dysfunction it can be more specialized. 4. Improve Cervical Secretions If you’re trying to have a baby, get used to knowing things like your cervical mucus (hell wait till you hear about the mucus plug). Improving your cervical secretions is so important and something a fertility doula might talk often about in her consultation and work practice. If you’re having problems finding fertility mucus then you may be ovulating early in your cycle or at the end of your period. It mainly responds to increased estrogen levels, insufficient mucus may indicate low estrogen levels. There is a list of reasons you may have trouble finding your cervical secretions but there is still time to discover all that out. To improve your volume focus on a couple key points. Eat foods containing B-complex vitamins Drink plenty of water Eat foods containing PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) Lots of things to try to improve cervical secretions, if you ever feel you need more guidance feel free to connect with me. 5. Use Supplements Now you may be reading this and are like, but I take my prenatal vitamins, I already know I have to eat healthy and drink lots of water. Sure you may know all that but honestly, this is highly important. Make sure to use fat-soluble vitamins such as D and E and pair them with B and C vitamins. Depending on what medications you’re already taking it can reduce vitamin and mineral levels. (Folate levels can actually be depleted by contraceptives) Large intakes of Zinc may interfere with iron and copper absorption (and Vitamin C enhances Iron intake) Taking any B vitamins will enhance the absorption of other B vitamins (so even if you take B3 but are like what about the rest, the food you eat, those vitamins can be absorbed better) Coffee and tea can affect absorption of some nutrients (so be aware of that) Another resource is to find a good local herbalist or naturopath who studies herbs that can better help you with your vitamins and intake. Now that I’ve told you all about these holistic approaches to boost your fertility, I hope you put them into action and use these steps to better benefit your body and make it ready for baby. If you ever need more support feel free to reach out and I would love to support you on your journey.
